With approximately six million people who are blind, between the ages of 16-75+ years of age in the U.S., audio description (AD) is one way to increase people with disabilities' access when visual images are involved (American Council of the Blind, 2019). Snyder (2014) described AD as a verbal description of a program (i.e., performing arts,…

Although more students with disabilities are attending university than ever before, many still have difficulties with the transition from high school. Transition research has extensively examined the factors and barriers that support or hinder successful transitions for students with disabilities. However, there has been little explicit focus on…

Usability testing that includes people who are fluent in assistive technology is an important way to ensure that digital products meet the needs of all users. In settings such as universities, with highly distributed content creator networks and vast differences in project sizes and scopes, it can be challenging for non-experts to find and use the…

Color Vision Deficiency (CVD) is a commonly occurring condition in the general population. For medical students, it has the potential to create unique challenges in the classroom and clinical environments. Few studies have provided medical educators with comprehensive recommendations to assist students with CVD. This article presents a focused…

Students who are blind or visually impaired are attending college at higher rates than ever before but are not achieving comparable academic outcomes to peers without disabilities. The variables that are associated with success in the college context among students who are blind or visually impaired have not been quantitatively examined. In this…

The authors conducted professional development (PD) for university personnel, focused on Universal Design for Instruction (UDI), over three days during a summer institute. The UDI-focused PD provided 20 hours of training across six content areas: (a) UDI, (b) accessible distance education and assistive technology, (c) student and faculty rights…

The purpose of this study was to examine the pre-enrollment considerations of undergraduate wheelchair users (i.e., the decision to attend college, college selection factors) and their post-enrollment transitions (i.e., adjustments from high school to college, academic and social integration). Qualitative ethnographic research methodology was used…

As the number of online course offerings expands and student retention and graduation metrics proliferate, colleges and universities are examining how to maximize student comprehension, meet the needs of a diverse student body, comply with accessibility regulations, and avoid litigation. One area of particular interest is the use of closed…

Students with disabilities have significantly lower graduation rates in four-year postsecondary institutions than students without disabilities. Although there are many barriers associated with persistence and graduation, for students with vision loss, additional accessibility challenges exist. This paper describes a pilot study that examined the…

As the title states, this article is a collection of musings with only modest attempts at establishing an order for them or connections between them. It is not quite "free association," but it is close. This structure or perhaps lack of it reflects the variety of things we do in our work. Many of the things we do have little in common…

This study examined the composing processes of five postsecondary students who used or were learning to use speech recognition software (SR) for college-level writing. The study analyzed their composing processes through observation, interviews, and analysis of written products over a series of composing sessions. This investigation was prompted…

Access to higher education for people with disabilities has been a concern and motivation for change internationally. Collaborative discussions about the attitudes and policies addressing these issues began many years ago with several organizations and agencies representing the interest of people with disabilities. There were international…

The landscape of higher education necessitates that strategies be in place to meet the needs of an ever changing student population. Since 2009, the Post-9/11 GI Bill has spurred an increased enrollment of student veterans that is forecasted to rise. Students who are veterans have unique experiences related to their service, age, and work-life…

In 2013 Ireland's Association for Higher Education, Access and Disability (AHEAD), in partnership with the School of Nursing University College Dublin (UCD), hosted a summer school for professionals working in the Health Sciences sector who have responsibility for including students with disabilities in the health professions, including clinical…

Across the globe, students with disabilities have been increasing in prevalence in higher education settings. In the twenty-first century the struggle to include individuals with disabilities into nursing schools and workplaces continues in different parts of the world. Historically, entry criteria in nursing schools have been based on essential…